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Health Minister Marjorie Michel has announced that the face of Manitoba’s pandemic immunization efforts, Dr. Joss Reimer, will be Canada’s new chief public health officer.
In a social media post Friday, Michel said she looks forward to working with Reimer, whose “leadership, expertise and commitment to public health will be invaluable assets in protecting the health of Canadians.”
Reimer, who will take up her new role on April 1, was the medical lead and spokesperson for Manitoba’s COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Taskforce and served as the medical director of public health for Winnipeg.
Reimer has also served as the head of the Canadian Medical Association, leaving her post in 2025.
A biography on the association website says she has expertise in “immunizations, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections and harm reduction.”
Reimer worked at the University of Manitoba for nine years. As the undergraduate director of population health, she developed and led the university’s four-year population health course.
Canada currently has an interim chief public health officer, Dr. Howard Njoo. He took over the role following Theresa Tam, who led Canada’s pandemic response.
Tam, who stepped down in June, served in the role from June 2017, becoming a household name during the country’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Margot Burnell, the current CMA president, congratulated Reimer in a statement, saying she is “a passionate leader and respected voice in public health.”
“As chief medical officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and spokesperson for Manitoba’s COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce, she was a source of calm and reason when Manitobans needed it,” Burnell said.
“Working with her on the CMA board, I saw first-hand how Dr. Reimer brought that same passion to the CMA as president.”
